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Gunn Ridge

(0 routes)

Also includes Gunn Stream

Type:

Range

Access:

For the most part, travel along the range from McFetrick Peak to Fardowner Peak is an easy rollercoaster,
provided one can see where to go. But at the end of the range, north of Fardowner, greasy
and broken bluffs on the ridge cut off the descent, making this a range with a sting in its tail. Leaving
the range on the spur west of Gunn Peak also has its difficulties. To the east, tussock leads to Pt 1106
metres, and a spur heading north-east from it offers a hard, steep scrub bash down to the lower
Whataroa. The range itself is a wonderful place to visit, most easily accessed from Butler Forks and
the track into the upper Gunn Valley. Stans Hut is a community maintained four-bunk hut in upper
Reynolds Creek.
Butler Junction Hut to upper Gunn River
From the Butler Junction bridge over the Whataroa a maintained DOC marked route climbs to the
scrubline on the Gunn Ridge, with big coloured marker poles near Pt 1203 metres. Above here markers
cease, and the spur up onto the range is scrubby, narrow and eroding in places but negotiable. From the
old cairn where the spur meets the Gunn Ridge, follow the ridge up to 1700 metres, then descend the
valley that heads north from Pt 1854 metres to about the 1560-metre contour. From here sidle mostly
west, crossing streams and climbing to 1700 metres again before swinging north-west down broad
tussock slopes to lower flats in the upper Gunn basin. There are good campsites in the upper basin of
the Gunn River to climb from.
Descending from Gunn Ridge to the Whataroa, some have found the top of the tracked spur dangerous
under loose snow and instead used the ridge over Pt 825 metres, which is less steep. This was
reported as scrubby but reasonable going, as is McCormick Creek lower down.
Time: Butler Junction Hut to cairn on Gunn Ridge, 5 hrs
Traversing from Gunn River via Mt Cloher to Gunn Peak
This is reasonably straightforward. Access to Mt Cloher from the Gunn River can be gained up a tiny
side creek at I35 956553 / BW16 856 937 on the true left of the stream draining Mt Cloher, or up the spur
at I35 950555 / BW16 850 939 and then sidling across an upper basin to the peak. A kilometre south of
Gunn Peak it is easiest to sidle to the east through basins, avoiding a rough piece of ridge. Gunn Peak
can also be sidled easily to the east. Fardowner is easily approached from Gunn Peak. The main ridge
north-west from Fardowner is initially steep but traversable. However, at the col immediately southeast
of Pt 1522 metres, guts and rotten rock walls make travel impractical. We don’t know anyone who
has traversed or bypassed this.